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Tuesday, August 1, 2017

THE TOP 25 GREATEST HULK COVERS OF ALL TIME

THE TOP 25 GREATEST HULK COVERS OF ALL TIME

BY

John "THE MEGO STRETCH HULK" Cimino

SIMPLY INCREDIBLE

If you're a regular reader of this blog (or read into my pen name) you know that I'm a big fan of the Hulk. In a past blog, I posted "My Top 30 Greatest Super Heroes of All Time" where I rank my best of the best superheroes, you can probably guess where the Hulk comes in (go read it anyway, it's a hoot). I've even posted many other informative articles on the Green-Skinned Goliath during the years. But in this write up, I'm going to go all out because I always have a need to carry "the classic Hulk-banner of hope" to the rubes. And yes, the key word here is "classic" because I'm not really a big fan of the character (or comics) today. If you want to know more about this it can be read in full here: "My Top 20 Greatest Hulk Stories Ever."

While I was already familiar and loving super heroes because of the Super Friends and 1967 Spider-mancartoons
as a child, nothing, but nothing could prepare me for the impact that
The Incredible Hulk would make in my life. My first
exposure to the Green Goliath was when my mother made me go to bed early
because she thought I would get nightmares if I saw the live-action
made-for-TV-movie; The Incredible Hulk starring Bill Bixby and
Lou Ferrigno back in 1977 (it was the first "pilot" episode). I peeked
in,
secretly watched the whole thing and became a Hulk-addict before I
went to sleep. It was that simple. Not Superman, not Spider-man,
not Batman, not anything impacted me the way the Hulk did. It was a mind-altering experience for my impressionable 4 year old brain.

Then The Incredible Hulk live-action
series began rolling in 1978 that kept me glued to the tube every
Friday night until its end in 1982. If that wasn't enough, during that
time the Hulk became a national phenomenon and Hulk-merchandise was
everywhere you looked. This would lead me to want to get the greatest toy ever
in 1979; The Mego Elastic Hulk (read about that debacle here: "In Search of the Holy Grail of Hulk"). And as the fates would have it, the first comic book I was ever given was The Incredible Hulk #247 (1980)
on my 7th birthday. There was no turning back now. I constantly ran
around my neighborhood with no shirt, bare feet and ripped up Toughskin jeans or an occasional Ben Cooper Hulk costume that managed to survive Halloween night. All I wanted in life was the Hulk and that's the way it was going to stay. So that's my love for the character. But the Hulk already existed for more than 15 years before I ever knew about him. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the Hulk first appeared in The Incredible Hulk
#1 (1962). He is cast as the
emotional and impulsive alter ego of the withdrawn and reserved
physicist Dr. Bruce Banner. The Hulk appears shortly after Banner is
accidentally exposed to mega doses of gamma rays from the blast of a
test detonation of a Gamma Bomb (or G-Bomb) he invented. Subsequently,
Banner will involuntarily transform into the Hulk, during times of anger, fear or stress thus
leading to extreme complications in his life.

Today, the Hulk's popularity is bigger than ever as he has been appearing in blockbuster movie after movie as well as having merchandise all over the world. He also appears in so many Marvel titles that it's almost impossible to keep track of them all. But, like I said at the beginning, although the Hulk is more widely known than ever before, he isn't the same character he once was in the comics as different incarnations and interpretations of him appear in stories (it's a damn travesty if you ask me). So in keeping with my"classic" Hulk theme in this article; I'm posting my 25 favorite Hulk comic book covers that captured myimagination and defined the character in mymind. So you might look at this list and think that other legendary or contemporary Hulk covers should've been included, but they probably didn't do much for me. Who knows, maybe you'll agree with some and maybe you won't, either way the Hulk will always remain one of Marvel's most enduring characters. Enjoy the gamma-irradiated power.

John
Cimino is a Silver and Bronze Age comic, cartoon and memorabilia expert
that runs a business called "Saturday Morning Collectibles." He buys, sells, appraises and gives seminars on everything pop culture, so if
you got something special, let him know about it. He contributes
articles to ALTER EGO, BACK ISSUE and THE JACK KIRBY COLLECTOR from TwoMorrows Publishing and has appeared on the AMC reality show Comic Book Men. He also represents some of comicdoms biggest stars and brings them to a Comic Con near you. John still thinks he's really Captain Marvel, people just don't have
the heart to tell him he's just an obsessed fanboy that loves to play
superheroes with his daughter Bryn. Contact him at johnstretch@live.com or follow on twitter at @Elastic_Hulk and have some fun.

Well that's what's so great about comics and comic art appreciation. It's personal and nostalgic to the individual. Personally, I would have included Hulk 1 and FF 12 at least among others. I wouldn't have Aurora model, Foom, Avengers Annual 2 or Marvel Tales 1 (which is just a stat image). I'd also include a few more post-1978. But there are a lot of great choices on here.

Honestly, #181 is SIGNIFICANT because it's the first appearance of a character who went on to become VERY popular - but as a cover, it's pretty pedestrian and unremarkable, IMO. Also - Wolverine went on to look much, much cooler than he does here

Thanks. I don't have a particular favorite, although that Steranko HULK ANNUAL was great. Can't argue with your choice of that FF issue... but what about the earlier one where he and the FF are approaching each other on different sides of a rock wall...?

As these list go I think you did well in your selections. Although I disagree with the order and would not have included Marvel Tales #1. But really these list always fail because it's base on individual tastes and nostalgia. Every time I see Amazing Spiderman 119 it brings me back to the day I first saw it as a kid.

Agree with the list, but definitely not the order! I was reading comics during that entire time period and some of them had a MUCH larger impact than the order gives them credit for. I'm especially talking about #25, #22, #14, and #13!

I realise I'll be in a huge minority here but, as much as I love Steranko's Cap and S.H.I.E.L.D. stuff, his Hulk doesn't cut it for me. He doesn't get the ratio of head size to body right (his head should be proportionately smaller) and the cover of FOOM just looks like a normal, albeit well- toned, man.

Not that I don't always find something to take exception with when somebody posts one of these 'Greatest of all time' lists, but this one is pretty lame. No Hulk 1 or 3 or 105, no FF 12. And all of the Steranko's should be higher, imo, with Annual #1 and Cap 110 vying for top honors. And while I'm not very familiar with many artists past the Bronze Age, even I've taken notice of Dale Keown's version...I mean, how could you not?

About Me

I'm a comic and toy historian who writes for ALTER EGO, THE JACK KIRBY COLLECTOR,RETRO FAN and BACK ISSUE magazine. I run "Saturday Morning Collectibles" where we buy and sell everything pop culture (especially vintage Marvel and DC toys and comics). I also represent and manage comic legend "Rascally" Roy Thomas. Contact me at johnstretch@live.com for seminar speakings, buying or selling, appraisals, private signings and appearances for Mr. Thomas. Follow me on Instagram at megostretchhulk, on twitter @Elastic_Hulk and listen to my Power Cosmic Podcast every week because I like attention...